Catholic school to offer special education

Like many Catholic parents, Kevin and Elaine Burke wanted their son to attend a high school that combined rigorous academics for the mind with spiritual formation for the soul.

But their son Ryan, 15, has Down syndrome, and the Burkes soon discovered that no Catholic high school in Illinois offered special education programs.

Now, thanks in part to the Burkes, the state's first Catholic high school program for special-needs students will begin in August at Notre Dame High School for Boys in Niles. The program is named for and partially funded by Chicago Ald. Ed Burke and his wife, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke -- no relation to Ryan's parents.

Nationally, only six other Catholic high schools offer programs for students with Down syndrome and other learning disabilities. Financial constraints, declining enrollment and a shortage of priests and nuns have become more urgent concerns in Catholic education than costly initiatives like special education.

Notre Dame almost closed in 2006 when the Priests of the Holy Cross withdrew from the school, but it became the first independent Catholic high school in the Chicago archdiocese, owned by a new nonprofit corporation of alumni, parents and Catholic educators. Three years later, the school's expansion into special education is another bold move, but one its leaders believe in.

"One of our weaknesses in the Catholic system has been that we haven't been able to include students of every walk of life, and that includes special needs," said Daniel Tully, Notre Dame's principal. "We think that having students with special needs would be as big a benefit to [current students] as to the new students."

Notre Dame's program is expected to start out with three students. For some lessons, specialized instruction will be provided in a separate classroom. At other times -- such as for religion, music and physical education -- they will be in general classes. The school is planning a buddy system in which student volunteers assist the students in navigating the school.

After finishing the program, the students will receive a certificate of completion that will ensure they receive government-sponsored services until they are 21.

Ryan said he dreams of working in a hospital. His father's hopes are simpler.

"I just want him to go as far as he possibly can," Burke said. "I hope that he gets a job and is able to live independently. That would be my dream."

As they began their quest to give Ryan a Catholic education, Burke and his wife said they met with local Catholic school officials to discuss options but got the cold shoulder. Unsure where to turn, the parents called their former pastor, Rev. Raymond Klees, who had become executive vice president at Notre Dame High School.

Klees said the school was sold on a special-needs program after just one visit to a school that offered similar services, Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tenn.

"The Catholic system has been slow to [serve special-needs students], not from lack of care and not from disregard but because of scarce resources," Klees said. "After seeing the program in action, we were transformed. We went from 'It's a good thing' to 'It's the right thing.'"

Tully said he was most impressed by how the school's Hand in Hand program aided the entire institution.

"Every student and every teacher was affected," he said. "They all had wonderful stories ... about helping the kids. It changed their lives, and we're hearing that from all the schools with these programs."

The Burkes learned about the Tennessee school from their eldest daughter, Megan, who is studying special education at Vanderbilt University.

She started tutoring a student at the high school, thought the program would be perfect for her brother and asked her parents to visit.

After they returned, the Burkes called Klees, who phoned his friend Anne Burke, a former special-education teacher and founder of the Special Olympics.

She and her husband agreed to help fund the new special-needs program at Notre Dame. The school hopes to raise $80,000 for the Burke Scholars Program from grants and donations.

During a visit at his Western Springs home, Ryan expressed excitement about attending Notre Dame. He professed love for science, math, social studies and playing the piano. He playfully boasted about his other activities, which include cross-country running, choir and student council.

"I can't wait to go to Notre Dame High School, because I know they have a lot of stuff going on," he said.

If the program proves successful, Ryan's parents are hoping Notre Dame can be a model for other Catholic high schools in Illinois. More importantly, Ryan's mother said she wants other students to learn more about the disabled as part of their religious education.

"Learning about people with disabilities really should be a part of the Catholic faith," she said.

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maramirez@tribune.com

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